


taking every breath (with you)

by manbun_zukka



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Harry Potter is Bad at Feelings, Hermione Granger is a Good Friend, Hogwarts Eighth Year, It all ends well and cute, M/M, Ron Weasley is So Confused Right Now, Sexuality Crisis, Soulamate AU, That's just how its gonna be, Why?, because I said so, rated for language, that one's kinda important, this may be a touch longer than I anticipated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24118273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manbun_zukka/pseuds/manbun_zukka
Summary: On your eighteenth birthday, you get your soul-string, a red string that connects you to your soulmate whenever you're within a three-kilometer distance from each other. Nobody can see it until both sides come to terms with it, and that had most certainly not happened for Harry.He had always hoped his soulmate would be a woman, but nope, the universe was screwing him over once more.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Pansy Parkinson, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Pansy Parkinson, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Ron Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas
Comments: 17
Kudos: 321





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovely peeps! I've been loving soulmate Au's recently, so I decided to write one myself! This is definitely a work in progress, and it'll probably be much longer than I originally intended. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

For the sake of everything good and holy.

This simply couldn’t be happening.

Harry could defeat Voldemort, lead an army to victory, win a fucking war, but this? This was a step too far.

The universe must have hated him, because this wasn’t a dream, or a hallucination, nope, this was real. 

It was right there, in front of his eyes, a red string stretching from his wrist across the hall to Draco Malfoy. Of all the things to happen to him, this had to be the worst. Because, sure it was great that he knew who his soulmate was, and sure, it was nice that his soulmate also happened to be the same person that he’d had a _crazy big_ crush on for two years, but it was not great that his soulmate was a man. 

Harry knew he was bi, he’d known since fourth year, but he was most certainly hoping that his soulmate would be a woman. Being closeted was never something that he’d intended to do, it just kind of happened. Nobody asked, and he’d only ever dated girls, so everybody just assumed that he was straight, and Harry wasn’t in a rush to correct them.

This was the nineties, people.

The soulmate system had always seemed pretty straight-forward enough to Harry; once your eighteenth birthday came about, you could see the red string that connected you to your soulmate if you were within a three-kilometer distance from them. No one could see your soul-string until both sides had come to terms with it, so Harry’s secret was safe, for now.

Malfoy’s birthday obviously hadn’t come yet, because he seemed blissfully ignorant, laughing at something that his friend said, over at the Slytherin table, his beautiful grey eyes crinkling in the corners.

No- dammit! His eyes weren’t beautiful, get your shit together, Potter!

Harry shook himself slightly, trying to tune back into whatever Professor McGonagall was saying about ‘true bravery’. Hermione turned to look at him, mouthing ‘what?’. Harry mouthed back the word ‘soulmate’, and Hermione shook her head, whispering back to Harry ‘tell me later’. Harry nodded, and that was that, the rest of the feast was normal after that.

“Harry!” Hermione yelled as she ran to catch up with her friend. They were walking towards the new eighth-year dorms, lagging slightly behind the rest of the crowd. “What the hell was happening during the feast?”

“My soulmate, Hermione.” Harry whispered, not keen on being heard. “Here, can we just-” he motioned her over, ducking into a side alcove. “It’s Malfoy.”

Hermione sucked in a sharp breath as she received the information, before looking back at Harry. “Harry.” she said to her friend, whose emerald eyes were looking everywhere but at her. “Harry, please, look at me”

He turned to face her, eyes brimming with emotion. “I’m sorry I never told you,” he whispered, before Hermione pulled him into a hug.

“It’s okay.” Hermione whispered back, squeezing him lightly. They had become even closer over the summer, spending their time together at the Burrow after Hermione had returned from Australia to get her parents. Ron had been so wrapped up in grief for the first few weeks, that they only had each other to help one another through things.

“It’s okay,” she repeated, pulling back to look at Harry. “We’ll figure it out together. You can’t control who your soulmate is, but you can figure out how to deal with it, and we’re going to do that together.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, bumping his shoulder against her’s. “Thanks, ‘Mione.”

They walked to the dorms together, stumbling into their respective dorms. Harry couldn't sleep, he'd barely gotten an average night's sleep in two years, but that night, instead of being kept up by memories and nightmares, he was kept up by the fact that Draco Malfoy was his fucking soulmate.

God, his life.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, I'm posting a second chapter in the same day! I hope you like this story so far!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

Harry tried to carry on like normal, but he couldn’t seem to distract himself from the fact that _Draco Malfoy was his fucking soulmate_.

It wasn’t something that could be easily ignored, mostly due to the fact that there was a thick, read string stretching off to wherever Draco might be, and he got to be ignorant of the whole damn thing. Harry felt so lost, and so alone, and he had to put on a brave face, take press interviews, watch as headlines about him sparked through newspapers, float through the motions of daily life, with so many thoughts swirling through his head.

Hermione was his only life line, listening to his late night musings in the common room, her head resting on his shoulder as they said whatever thoughts came into their heads.

“I know who my soulmate is,” Hermione whispered late one night.

Harry turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. “Who?” he asked.

“Pansy Parkinson,” she answered, looking up at him. “She’s pretty, and nice, and I really, really, like her.”

“Hermione…” Harry sighed, smiling down at her. “That’s actually really cute. Have you talked to her yet?”

“No, not yet,” Hermione murmured, looking down at the string around her wrist. "I'm not sure if her birthday's come round."

“I’m not sure when Malfoy’s is,” Harry muttered, looking at his own string. “I’m not looking forward to it though. I’m sure he’ll hate me.”

“Oh, Harry, don’t think like that,” Hermione scolded, voice firm. “He’s your soulmate, and you only get one of those. Even if he doesn’t love you right away, he’s your other half. You can’t let that go.”

“I know, it’s just,” he paused, taking a deep breath. “What if I fuck it all up? What if I scare him away, or he still hates me, or something else?”

“You won’t, Harry. I’ve seen the way that you look at him. You won’t mess anything up.”

“God, I hope so.”

Meanwhile:

“He thinks I don’t know.” Draco said, running a hand through his hair. “He knows, and he thinks I don’t know, but I do, and how the fuck do I get him to know that I know?”

“I don’t fucking know, Draco!” Pansy snapped, to busy with the knowledge that Hermione’s birthday had passed, so _she_ knew now, and gah-

“Pansy, please,” Draco whispered. Pansy turned towards him, seeing the panic in his eyes, and softened her expression a bit. 

“What is it?” she asked, trying to ignore the string around her own wrist.

“I’m head over fucking heels for the most oblivious man on earth that also happens to be my soulmate that hates me.” Draco said angrily. “What do you suggest I do?”

“Talk to him, for fucks sake!” Pansy whisper yelled. “My God, you oblivious fuckers. I’ve seen the way you look at him, Draco, so talk to him, _please_.”

“You’re no help.”

“Draco, I understand that you’re waaay too stubborn to admit that you have feelings, but you do, so please, acknowledge them, and get them dealt with, ASAP!” she continued, looking exasperatedly at her friend.

“I have no feelings, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re hopeless.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter for y'all! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

  
  


“I think I’m gay,” Ron said out of the blue one night. He, Harry, Dean, Seamus, and Neville were back in the dorm, all of them in the respective bed, except for Seamus, who was squeezed in next to Dean.

“Me too,” Harry replied. Ron looked up at him sceptically, raising an eyebrow, but Harry did nothing but nod, so he let it go.

“Join the club, mate.” Seamus joked from his place next to Dean, who simply chuckled and pressed a kiss to his head.

“Damn, guess I’m the only straight one here,” Neville mused, flipping idly through an old herbology textbook.

“Harry, you must have gotten your soulmate then?” Ron asked, gesturing towards the red strings around Dean and Seamus’ wrists.

“Yeah,” Harry muttered, looking down at his wrist. Ron couldn’t see the string there, but it was all Harry could do to imagine the boy at the other end of it. 

“Who is he then?” Dean asked, looking interested.

Harry murmured something under his breath, which none of his roommates could hear, but they took it as a sign to leave the topic alone.

“What about you, Ron?” Seamus asked, trying for a change in topic.

“‘M not sure yet.” Ron answered, looking down at his wrist. “I hope it’s not a Slytherin though, that would suck.”

His roommates all murmured in approval, before returning back to whatever they had been doing, giving Harry a chance to slip out of the room unnoticed. He walked towards the common room, planning to meet Hermione there, but instead being accosted in the hallway by one  _ Draco Motherfucking Malfoy _ .

“Potter.”

“Malfoy.”

“What brings you to this neck of the woods?” Draco asked, trying to keep his tone relaxed.

“Just, y’know, er, going to the common room.” Harry answered, failing to keep the nerves out of his voice.

“Ah, um, very good.” Draco stuttered. “So, I, er, the whole, um,  _ soulmate thing _ ?” he said, gesturing towards the red string hanging about their wrists.

“Yes, that.” Harry muttered, looking down at the floor. “So you know too?”

“Yes, er, I’ve known since, around, um, September?” 

“Well, y’know what, I’m just gonna-” Harry said, before grabbing Draco’s tie and pulling him into a kiss.

It was like nothing that Harry had ever felt before. It was like he was whole, his entire body seemed to be melding with Draco’s, their souls fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. Draco had grabbed onto Harry’s biceps, and Harry had his arms around Draco’s waist, and they didn’t let go. Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy, kissing in the middle of the Eighth Year staircase, red soul-strings glowing around their wrists, where anybody could see them, didn’t let go.

After several long moments - or it may have been half an hour - or possibly several sunlit days - they broke apart. 

“Now I understand what they say about your soulmate.” Draco breathed, pressing his forehead against Harry’s. “When you’re together, you feel whole.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a PS: the line "After several long moments - or it may have been half an hour - or possibly several sunlit days - they broke apart." Came straight from Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I think I'll have another up soon!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter! I hope you like it!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

Five Months Later:

Harry was squeezed into a booth in the back of the Three Broomsticks, waiting for Luna to arrive. They were sitting down for an exclusive interview to be released on May 2nd, talking about Harry’s experiences during and after the war. Harry smiled at Luna as she sat down, placing an enchanted type-writer on the table in between them.

“So Harry,” she started, looking up at Harry with her shockingly blue eyes. “How’ve you been doing?”

“Really well, actually.” he answered, glancing over at where Draco was sat with Hermione and Pansy, waiting for Ron and Blaise who were at the bar. “Never better.”

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Luna said, before opening her leaflet of questions. “My first question is of course, how have you been coping in the aftermath of the war?”

“The war changed everyone so much,” Harry began, “and everyone’s experience is different. For me, honestly, I was just numb at first. I hadn’t really allowed myself to _feel_ for so long, that I didn’t know how to reach my emotions and deal with them properly. Grieving is something that I’ve always done alone, but this war ending has helped me to understand that I do need support, and that I have the most amazing friends who are willing to give it.”

“Wonderful,” Luna mused, her quiet words almost drowned out by the clacking of the type-writer in the background. “Next, would you mind telling me a bit about what it was like for you to grow up with this war on your shoulders, and what it’s been like afterwards?”

“As a kid, I had no idea about who I was, or that I was magical, or even that magic existed, so having that all thrown at me on one night was a bit jarring. I really didn’t understand the weight of the situation until I first met Voldemort in my first year, and then again in my second. I never thought of myself as the face of the movement until Minister Scrimgeour repeatedly asked me to be the ‘poster boy’ in my sixth year.

“As a teen, I never gave myself a chance to get to know myself as a person, or understand myself more. I’ve known for a while that I identify as Bisexual, but I closeted myself, not wanting to lose more people than I already had. My Godfathers were a very large influence for me in my teen years, and it was especially hard to lose them, just because I’d always seen them as the perfect example of soulmates, people who would just love each other no matter what. I never thought I’d be able to find that, and it was hard for me to open up to the people I love, and I really wish that I had. 

“Now, thinking back on everything that I saw for myself it seems so silly and juvenile, really. I’m so, so, ‘sickeningly in love’, or at least that’s what my friends say, that I wish I’d been able to tell my past self that I’d figure myself out.”

“That was very profound, Harry,” Luna said quietly. “Now, would you mind telling me about what it was like to find your soulmate, and how you feel about going public with your relationship?”

Harry looked over once more at Draco, who was laughing jovially at something that Ron said. His blonde hair was gleaming in the dusty sun rays coming in through the tavern windows, and his grey eyes were alight with happiness, and Harry felt it in him, their soul string glowing red. He was so happy, happier than he ever thought he could be, and so goddamn in love, that sometimes he worried about waking up and it all being a dream. But then he would feel Draco’s soft hair under his fingers, or Draco’s rosy lips against his, and he knew that everything was real, that he _was_ living a dream.

“I’m happier than I ever thought possible, when I’m with him,” he began, his voice filled with emotion. “And nobody believed it at first, not even me. I saw the soul string on my first night back, and I was so confused, and so mad at the universe, and so scared, but now I get it. He’s my other half, and he’s my partner in life, and I love him, so, so much, it’s honestly unbelievable. And I know that other people will judge, and stare, but he’s my soulmate, and I’m proud of that. I’m proud to love Draco Malfoy, and I don’t care what anyone has to say about that. I plan to be proud to love him for the rest of my life, come hell or high water.”

“That was beautiful, Harry,” Luna murmured, gazing out of the window. “Absolutely beautiful. Everyone should hope to find love like that.”

They ended the interview there, choosing instead to walk back to Hogwarts. Draco joined them as they soaked in the May weather, a beautiful Scottish breeze and a cloudless sky hanging over their heads. Draco let his head drop onto Harry’s shoulder, and they let the soul string twine tightly around their wrists.

Once they reached the grounds, Luna took some pictures for the cover of the Quibbler and then floated up to the Ravenclaw dorms, thanking Harry profusely.

“How was the interview, love?” Draco asked once they were alone on the bank of the lake. They were keeping the whole thing semi-quiet for as long as possible, so he didn’t want the news of the article to get out.

“It was wonderful, actually.” Harry replied, running fingers through Draco’s hair. “Luna’s so wonderful to work with. And plus, I got to talk about you.”

“Oh shut up Potter, you big sap.”

“C’mon Malfoy, you love me.”

“Yeah I do.”

They sat quietly for quite some time, just soaking in each other’s presence. Draco began to doze off against Harry’s shoulder, and Harry let him lay there, the breeze brushing gently on their faces.

“Draco?” Harry whispered after a while. 

“Mmh?”

“I love you too.”

When the article came out the next week, the pictures on the front page brought them both to tears.

It would hang in their bedroom for the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I hope you liked this fic! I originally had some art on google drive with a link to it, but everyone who wanted to see it needed to ask for permission, and that really clogged up my inbox, so I took that out for now. If anyone knows about an easy way to add something from Google Drive, leave a comment, and I'll add it back!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading this! I hope you liked it, and if you did, pleasepleaseplease leave kudos and a comment!
> 
> I hope you have a great day, and thanks so much for reading this!
> 
> xx,  
> CJ


End file.
